Clutch.



' UNITED sfrarns PATENT onirica.

A CHARLES C. RICH, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO vTHEHYDRO-KINETIC I' f TRANSMISSION COMPANY, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK, ACORPORATION 0F MAINE.

CLUTCH.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES C RICH, citizen of the United States,residui at Mount Vernon, in the county of estchester and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful mprovements in Clutches, ofwhich the following is a specification. l v This-invention comprehendscertain new and useful improvements in clutches of the fluid type andthe invention has for its primary object a simple and durable construction of device of this character which will be composed ofcomparatively few parts that may be easily manufactured and assembled,and which will be elcient in operation to transmit power direct from adrive shaft to a driven shaft to rotate the latter within a wide rangeof gradation vin speed, from the slowest up to the highest ofwhich theengine rotating the drive shaft is capable.

The invention 'also has for its object. an improved Huid controlledclutch embodying means whereby at one limit of its operativemovement'the drive'and driven shafts will be mechanically connected,thereby relieving the u'id operated parts of strain and wear. And afurther object of the inven' AtOi-refea'ence is. to be had to thefollowing de- "scription and accompanying drawings, in which c 1 Figure1 is a longitudinal sectional view 'of a vvclutch embodying theprinciples of my -"invention, parts being shown in elevation;

1 i. and, Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indi- .cated in all-the views of the drawings by:thesame reference characters.

Referring/to the drawing, A designates a 4drive shaft, and B a drivenshaft, although it is to be understood that this selection is vmerelyarbitrary and that either Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led July 23, 1910. Serial No. 573,569.

PatentedApr. 4, 1911.

shaft .may be the drive shaft and the other the driven shaft. Y

A rotor 1 is centrally mounted upon the drive shaft A and is providedwith any desired number of blades 2, working within the chamber formedby the rotor casing 3, said rotor being eccentrically dis osed in saidchamber, as clearly illustrate in Fig. 2. 4 designates the inlet andoutlet pas sages leadinr to and from the cylindrical chamber of t erotorcasing 3, said passages being spaced from each other any desireddistance.

Secured to or formed integrally with the rotor casing 3 is a radiallydisposed circular `web 5 provided at its outer edge with a laterallywidened rim 6 bearing a concentric relation to the shaft A, and formedwith preferably laterally widened ports 7 registering with andpractically :forming parts of the passages 4. This'rim 6 is encircled bythc cylindrical body portion 8 of a shell casing C which may be formedin any desired number of parts divided either longitudinally ortransversely or both and connected together in any desired way so as toform a complete housing for the rim 6 and its inclosed parts.

ing C is formed at one end with an integral head 9 and at its oppositeend with a removable head 9 secured in place by stud bolts or similar.fastening devices. The casing C is splined on the shaft B for a limitedlongitudinal movement thereon and is provider at lits ends with stuffingboxes l0, 10, through which the respective shafts A and B pass, asclearly illustrated in Fig. 1. It is to be understood that the casing Cmay bemoved by any desired means, being shown in the present instance asprovided with a grooved collar 11 engaged by the yoke 12 of a shipperlever.

The rotor 1' is keyed to the drive shaft A, and the rotor casing 3 iskeyed through its hub 13 to the driven shaft B. The body portion 8 ofthe shell casing C embodies two integrally connected parts designated aand b, respectively, said parts being preferably equal in width. Thepart 11. is imperforate and has a perfectly smooth interior wall snuglyincasing the smooth exterior wall or .face of the rim (5, whereby whenthe shell casing C is moved in one direction, the in- In the presentin-- stance, the body portlon 8 of the shell cas- Yinterior of the rotorcasing 3 and conse- .of' laterally extendin quentlythe rotor l` and itscasing will rotate as a unit and operatively connect the driven shaft tothe drive shaft. The part b of the shell casi-ng C is of larger interiordiameter than the part a and is formed on its interior wall with anydesired number webs 14, the inner circle of which coinci es with thelinner wall of the part a, whereby a longitudinal movement of the shellcasing C in a direction opposite to that above mentioned will cause theinner edges of the webs 14 to ride 'smoothly upon thefrim 6 of the rotorcasing 3, thereby maintaining the shell lcasing C ina properly guidedmovement. The websy 14 are formed with any desiredjnumber of openingsextending therethrough, preferably across their inner edges, and henceit will be understood that a movement of the shell casing C to the`right as viewed in Fig. l, will u ncover the ports and passages leadingfrom and into the interior of the rotor casing 3, whereupon the rotorand its casing may turn independently with. ythe result that theshafts Aand B will be uncoupled. It is evident that this movement of the shellcasing C in a longitudinal direction, either way, may be a gradual oneand be lstopped atany desired point so as to uncover more or less of theports 7 lthereby transmitting power from the drivel shaft A to thedriven shaft B to rotate the latter at varying speeds. In order toprovide for displacement and permit the relatively easy movement of theshell casing G, the web 5 is formed with any desired number of ports 15extending therethrough, as shown.

As stated at the outset of the description, it is one of the mainobjects of my 'invention to provide means whereby when the y clutchisfully in or engaged, the rotor is relieved of all stress, the rotorcasing 3 and shell casing C being mechanically connected together. Asone meansfor accomplishing this result, I provide the rotor casing 3 atone end, and the shell casing C at the adjoining end, with complementallugs 16, of any desired number and formation, whereby when the shellcasing C is moved fully over to the left as viewed in Fig. 1, these lugsor abutments will interengage and thereby mechanically connect togetherthe two-cas# ings.

4It isto be understood that my invention I is not limited to the exactformation of the recessed webs 14 shown in the accompanymg drawing, butthat said webs may be recessed in any desired way and assume anyvpreferred. to control the .device bya lever and quadrant or similarelement,. so',`

is claimed as new is:

struction or arrangement of the interengaging abutments 16; and that, asbefore in dicated, any means may be employed for shifting the shellcasing C. 'Formstance if the clutch is used on an automobile 'or thelike, merely as a clutch device and not as the medium of a foot lever;but when'speed changing gears are eliminated, as they may well be whenmy invention is employed (the same being adaptable for use either inconnection with speed changing gears or in lieu thereof) it 4will in allprobabilit be and that it may be easily held in fixed position andeasily shifted. Obviously;v in this last named arrangement, the devicemay be also connected to a foot vlever to admlt of instantly throwingout` the4 clutch Awithout l shifting the lever. The clutch can then bethrown in again bythe foot pedal without reference to the position ofthe hand lever. Having thus described the inventlon,l what blades, norto any particular formatiomicon- Aa speed regulating device, it will-probabl i be preferable to actuate the clutch throug l, A clutch of thecharacter described,

comprising, in l combination with drive and driven shafts, a rotorconnected to the drive shaft, a rotor casing connected to the'l drlven'shaft and formed with inlet and outlet ports,

and a shell casing inclosing and surrounding the rotor casing andembodying two parts, one of which is adapted to close Said ports and theother of which is .designed to establish communication between theports, the shell casing having a longitudinally sliding movement on thedriven shaft. l

2. A clutch of.. the character described, comprising, in combinationwith drive and driven shafts, a rotor connected to .the drive I shaft, arotor casingconnected to the driven shaft and formed with inlet andoutletports, and a shell casing surrounding said rotor casing andembodying two parts, one of which is adapted to close said4 ports, the

other part of the shell casing being formed with webs adapted to slip.over the rotor casing, the webs bein 'formed with openings arranged toestab ish communication be.-

tween the ports of the rotor casing, the shellcasing being mounted for alongitudinally sliding movement on the driven shaft.

3. A clutch of the character described, comprising, in combination withdrive and driven shafts, a rotor secured to the drive shaft, a rotorcasing connected to the driven shaft, and formed with inlet and outletports, vand a shell "casing surroundin the rotor casing and embodylng apart whlch is adapted to close said ports, and another'part i ofrelatively large interior diameter formed wlth webs adapted to snuglyslip over the -rotor casing, the webs being formed in their inner'edgeswith recesses adapted to establish communication between said ports.

v 4. A 'clutch of the character described, com rising arotor, a shaft towhich the ro- ,5. tor 1s connected, a rotor casing in which the rotor ismounted, said casing being formed with inlet and outlet ports, with anapertured web and a surrounding rim concen-r trically disposed relativeto the shaft, the casing being arra ed for connection to a shaft,.ashaft.' to w ich the rotor casing is connected, and a shell casingmounted for a longitudinally sliding movement on said last named shaftand surrounding said rim, 1'5 vsaid shell casing embodying a partadapted v to chose said ports and another part formed with webs haviopenings therethrough, the series of webs eing of the same interiordiameter as the first named part of the shell 20 casing, and beingarranged to establish comf munication between the ports ofI the rotorcasing.

5. A clutch of the character described,

with inlet and outlet orts, a shi able shell casing surroundin adaptedto contro the 'communication between said inlet and outlet ports, andmeans for mechanically connecting together the so two casin 6. Ac utchof the character described, comprising a rotor, a rotor casing, Shaftsto 'with inlet and out -comprising a rotor, a rotor Casin provided t erotor lcasing and which the rotor and its casingare respectivelyconnected, the casing 'being formed w1th inlet and' outlet ports, ashell casing having a longitudinall sliding connection with the shaft towhic the rotor casing is connected and arranged to control the openingand closing of said orts, the two casings being formed with ugs adaptedto interengage, upon the `inovement of the shell casing to close saidports, whereby to mechanically co nectA the two casin s.

7. A clutch of the character escribed, comprising a rotor a rotor casingprovided let ports, and a shiftable shell casing surrounding the rotorcasing and adapted to control the communication between the inlet andoutlet ports.

8. A clutch 'of the character described, comprising a rotor, a shaft towhich the rotor is connected, a rotor casin in which the rotor ismounted, said casing eing formed with inlet and outlet ports, a shaft towhich said rotor casing is connected,-and a shiftable shell casinghavingl a longitudinally sliding movement on sai shafts.

In testimony whereof, I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES C. RICH. [as] Witnesses:

W. N. WoonsoN, FREDERICK S. .STILL .v Copies ofths patent may beobtained for live cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C." l

